Ambulance stretchers



Oct. 22, 1968 BIDGOOD 13,406,410

AMBULANCE STRETCHERS Filed Feb. 7, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 22, 1968w. Goop I 3,406,410

AMBULANCE STRETCHERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 7, 1967 3,406,410AMBULANCE STRETCHERS William Henry Bidgood, 8 S. Morton St., Portobello,Edinburgh 15, Scotland Filed Feb. 7, 1967, Ser. No. 614,480

Claims priority, application Great Britain, Feb. 16, 1966, 6,703/ 66 1Claim. (Cl. --82) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An ambulance stretcherhaving two rigid sides and members for spacing the sides a predetermineddistance apart. The upper surface of the two sides are smooth forreceiving, at any location therealong, removable downwardly curved crossbars having downwardly facing concave ends for engaging the uppersurfaces of the sides.

This invention relates to ambulance stretchers.

Ambulance stretchers as at present constructed normally consist of twoside members connected by a web of flexible material. To move a body onto such a stretcher it is customary to lay the stretcher beside the bodythen either lift the body or roll the body on to the stretcher. Evenwhere the greatest of care is taken these methods of moving a body on tosuch a stretcher frequently cause pain and can cause additional injury.The problem to be solved is to provide for the moving of a body on to astretcher with as little pain as possible and with the minimum danger ofcausing further injury or aggravating existing injury. It is an objectof the present invention to provide a stretcher which will solve thisproblem.

An ambulance stretcher according to the invention incorporates two sidemembers spacing means effective to hold the side members a predetermineddistance apart so that the "side members and the spacing means form anopen frame, and removable cross bars arranged to bridge the gap betweenthe side members.

The spacing means may consist of collapsible links connected to the sidemembers near their ends. The collapsible links may be hinged linkspivoted to the side members and to one another.

The side members may present handles at their ends or may be formed withintermediate handles projecting laterally.

The cross bars may be downwardly curved and are preferably formed of alight comparatively strong material such as glass fibre.

Where the side members are not otherwise connected to one another atleast selected cross members, particularly those to be positioned at theends, may be formed with looped ends arranged to be penetrated by theside members.

The ends of at least selected cross members may be curled to fit aroundthe side members.

The cross members may be formed with clamping means engageable with theside members so that the cross members may be clamped to the sidemembers.

Practical embodiments of the invention are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings in which FIG. 1 illustrates a construction inwhich the two side members are not permanently connected to one anotherand FIG. 2 illustrates a construction in which the side members arepermanently linked to one another.

In the drawings, 1 denotes side members and 2 de- United States Patentnotes removable cross bars formed to bridge the gap between the sidemembers 1 when these latter are spaced the appropriate distance, apart.In the construction of FIG. 1 the end cross bars 2A are formed at theirends with loops 3 arranged to bepenetrated by the side members 1 andhold the side members 1 the appropriate distance apart, and the crossbars 2 which will occupy intermediate positions between the end crossmembers 2A are curled at their ends at 4 so that when engaged with theside members 1 the cross bars 2 do not tend to slip off. The cross bars2 are downwardly curved so that when in place the stretcher has atrough-like form. In the construction of FIG. 1 the side members presentat their ends handles 4.

In the construction of FIG. 2 the side members 1 are linked to oneanother near their ends by links 5 pivoted to the side members at 6 andto one another at 7. In this construction there is no necessity toprovide end cross bars 2A since the links 5 are effective in holding theside members 1 the appropriate distance apart.

Although in the construction of FIG. 1 the side members present handles4 and in the construction of FIG. 2 such handles are absent it will beunderstood that handles may be omitted from the construction of FIG. 1and may be included in the construction of FIG. 2. It is unnecessary toprovide end handles onthe side members where fouror more stretcherbearers are available since it is then more convenient for the bearersto grip the side members 1 directly.

In practice, to transport a body which is initially resting on theground by a stretcher as illustrated in FIG. 1, ends cross bars 2A areengaged withrside members 1 to form an open frame and this frame withoutcross bars 2 fitted is placed over the body on the ground to surroundthe body. The cross bars 2 are then'inserted one at a time below thebody and the curled ends 4 are engaged with the side members whichlatter are held apart the requisite distance by the end cross bars 2A.The stretcher thus formed may be raised by the handles 4 with the bodyresting on it.

To transport a body which is initially resting on the ground by astretcher as illustrated in FIG. 2, the links 5 are straightened out tomove the side members 1 to their fully spaced formation and the openframe thus formed without cross bars 2 fitted is placed over the body onthe ground to surround the body as described for the construction ofFIG. 1. The cross bars 2 are then inserted as already described one at atime below the body and the curled ends 4 are engaged with the sidemembers 1. The stretcher thus formed may then be raised by stretcherbearers standing at the sides of the stretcher and lifting the stretcherby gripping the side members 1 directly.

By means of the stretcher according to the invention it is possible totransfer a body from one place to another without causing it injury inthe act of getting it on to the stretcher. The stretcher has theadditional advantage that it may be stored in a small space by removingthe cross bars 2 and bundling them and, in the construction of FIG. 1 byplacing the two side members together or in the construction of FIG. 2by collapsing the links 5 so that the side members 1 come together.

What is claimed is:

1. An ambulance stretcher incorporating two rigid side members havingsmooth substantially uninterrupted upper surfaces, spacing meanseffective to hold the side members a predetermined distanqehapartso thatthe side 1,1.20,931 12/1914 'Gosso 5-82 members and said spacing meansform an open frame, 2,-302453 11/1942 Martin and removable downwardlycurved cross bars formed 2 114 5/1956 Cote 5 82 with ends each curved topresent a concave surface facing downwardly, the concave ends beingengageable with the 5 16 2/1954 Burd 5-191 X upper surfaces of the sidemembers, the bars being eifec- FOREIGN PATENTS tive to bridge the gapbetween the side members.

1,069,248 7/1954 F References Cited fifi UNITED STATES PATENTS I mCASMIR A. NUNBERG; Primary Examiner. 821,720 5/1906 Kidd.

